Since I coach writers, people are always asking me how to bid on freelance writing jobs they find at sites like Upwork or Freelancer.
While I generally encourage my clients to create their own writing opportunities or find jobs that don’t require bidding, here are some things you should know if you want to create successful bids.
• Avoid Being the Lowest Bid
Trying to get jobs by offering the lowest price is a tough way to earn good money.
When you offer a low-ball bid, you undervalue your work and have to work much harder than if you highlight your skills at a higher rate.
Plus, employers who continuously hire the lowest bidder are generally more difficult to work with than someone who values a writer’s time.
Go figure.
Think of it this way.
If you have to bid too low to get a job, you don’t want that job anyway.
• Follow All Instructions Posted in the Job Listing
You’d think this was a given, yet I see people who don’t follow guidelines – whether it’s a publisher’s guidelines or an employer’s guidelines.
Yet, this is probably the most important factor in getting a gig.
If you don’t follow instructions when you apply for a gig, the customer will assume you won’t follow them if they assign work to you, so they’ll offer the job to someone else – to someone who did follow their instructions.
• Include Relevant Writing Samples
When possible, always include writing samples when you apply for new gigs or have them available for viewing online.
Your potential client has no way of knowing if you can write without reading some of your work.
But the key word here is “relevant.”
Use writing you have done already for samples, but if the job is for a subject area you haven’t written about before, create some new samples that are relevant to the type of writing the job requires.
• Look for Red Flags
Be careful and protect yourself.
One red flag is being requested to write a full length article for free.
That “sample” might be the actual project the client wants completed.
By requesting it as a sample, they will get it for free.
Another potential red flag is a client who has unrealistic demands – like a lot of work for little pay or unreasonably short deadlines.
Only take jobs that sound reasonable on all counts.
• Look at the Client’s Rating
Most freelance sites give writers the ability to critique the clients.
Read the reviews that others have left about your potential client.
This can help you steer clear of those who are difficult to work with.
• Try to Only Deal with Established Clients
Established sellers will be more organized than newbies and have a proven track record.
They know how the freelance system works and they value it as a long term resource.
• Don’t Bid on Jobs that Want You to Communicate Off Platform
Many sites are very strict about you only communicating on their platform.
This is for security reasons for both parties.
It ensures that, if a problem arises, everything is fully documented in their system.
Don’t risk losing your account by breaking this rule.
• Proofread Your Bid
You only get one chance to make a good first impression.
If your bid is full of mistakes, your client will not be confident in your writing skills and you won’t get the job.
Look over your bid and correct any mistakes you find (and you will find mistakes) before you submit it.
• Avoid Boilerplate Bids
Sending out the same exact bid to each client screams of laziness and won’t address the client’s needs appropriately.
Send a customized bid each time you apply for a gig.
This might take a while at first, but after you’ve bid on several jobs you’ll be able to create a customized bid quickly.
• Bid on Multiple Job Listings
Many people will send in one bid and then sit back and wait for a response from that one bid.
This can leave huge gaps in your schedule.
If you want steady work, you have to apply to multiple job listings.
In fact, check out several freelance job boards every weekday morning and make a point of finding at least 3 jobs to bid on daily until you find a client or two.
Once you have a few steady clients, you can bid on jobs to fill in the gaps.
Try it!
Learn more about how to bid on freelance writing jobs here.
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